Inclusive Education

Course Content

The Inclusive Education Department provides courses for undergraduate (B.Ed.) and postgraduate (Diploma in Primary Teaching) students in the following areas:

Special Education:

This course comprises an in-depth study of all current concepts of and provision for special education in the primary school. Topics covered include: Recent Developments in Special Education in Ireland / Legislation; Teaching Children with Autism / Down Syndrome / Dyslexia / Dyspraxia / Emotional – Behavioural Difficulties / ADHD / Visual Impairment / Hearing Impairment / Speech and Language Disorders / Physical Disabilities; Literacy for Children with Learning Difficulties – Special Needs; Planning (Individual Education Plans); Differentiating the Curriculum; Guidelines for Teachers of Students with General Learning Disabilities (Mild / Moderate / Severe-Profound). In the final term of the course, students are afforded an opportunity to gain practical experience of special education at primary level, during a three-week school placement in a special needs context.

Educational Disadvantage:

In this course we examine the manner in which socio-economic status is closely related to pupils’ educational performance. The link between the social and educational systems in Ireland is explored from a number of sociological perspectives. The causes and effects of educational disadvantage are examined, and local, national and international initiatives to combat it are discussed. Implications for schools and teachers - organisation, planning, practical strategies and home/school links, in designated areas of educational disadvantage, are considered. The particular circumstances of Traveller pupils and their experience in the Irish school system, together with practical strategies to provide for the inclusion of such pupils from an intercultural perspective, are addressed in depth. All students participate in a four-week teaching practice placement in a ‘DEIS’ (designated disadvantaged) school.

Development and Intercultural Education:

In an increasingly complex, globalised and multicultural society, children require an education that will enable them to understand and actively participate in the world. The aim of this course is to support students in integrating an intercultural and global dimension into their teaching. The module is aimed at introducing students to the principles and approaches of intercultural and development education in order to enhance their ability to work in diverse settings as well as enabling them to approach the teaching of other localities from the perspectives of equality, respect and social justice. The changed demographics of Irish society mean that the ability to teach English as an additional language has become a necessary component of teacher education. This course will explore the teaching of EAL within the broader context of intercultural education.

The overall aims of the Inclusive Education course are to:

Develop in students an understanding of and respect for pupil difference;
Prepare students for inclusive practice in a mainstream school context. - Develop appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills (practical skills in differentiation) in students. Students are formally assessed on their ability to evidence differentiation in planning and practice during Teaching Practice.
Provide a foundation for students with a view to their potential specialisation in a Special Education teaching context.

Students on the B.Ed. programme receive 84 hours of Inclusive Education tuition during their course, while P.Grad. Dip. students receive 40 hours tuition.

There are also three elective courses currently offered by the Inclusive Education Department:

Managing Children’s Challenging Behaviour in the Primary School
Teaching English as an Additional Language: An Intercultural Approach
The World in the Classroom

Lóchrann: The Centre for Intercultural Education is an initiative of the Inclusive Education Department. The Centre aims to enhance the development of best practice in intercultural education in Irish schools, through its engagement in teaching, learning and research (link).

Staff Profiles/Contact

Dr Anne Ryan (Rannóg / Department Head)
email:   Anne.Ryan@mie.ie
Tel:     353 1 8535156
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Barbara O’Toole
email:   barbara.otoole@mie.ie
Tel:        353 1 8535126
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Links

Lóchrann: the Centre for Intercultural Education